This past May marked 4 years that The Hubs and I moved here to Maui. Our desire to "slow down" and truly live was our motivation to escape life in the San Francisco Bay Area and plant roots elsewhere. If I am being honest, moving here was definitely an adjustment (more for me than for him); I spent a couple of decades living in Silicon Valley, so uprooting our comfortable lives and learning to adjust to Island Time was no easy feat. While I am all for the idea of "change" and welcoming new life-altering experiences, I am also the first to shy away and the last to bask in the excitement of it all. I'm a walking oxymoron!
As with all major moves, there is the prerequisite period of acclimation; that brief period where you are still finding your footing and learning to merge your life into the energy of your new surroundings. It wasn't easy for me; I missed my family and friends, but in the bigger picture, making the move was also like coming full circle (I'm originally from Oahu). And while it took me a little bit longer than The Hubs to feel at home here, the point is, I made it. We made it.
It's four years later, and if you asked me today if I could ever imagine leaving Maui, the answer would be a resounding NO. Because in four years, The Hubs and I have realized that we are, in fact, living our dream. We've "slowed down" considerably. We've learned how to discern want from need. We've learned to recognize and truly appreciate the little things in life that bring us joy, and our lives are changed for the better.
I cannot begin to articulate the joy I feel when The Hubs texts me on his way home from work:
"You. Me. Wine. On the deck in five."
Code for: Let's watch another amazing sunset together.
And of course, I oblige. By the time The Hubs pulls up, I'm there waiting. He gives me a hug and a kiss, we make a toast and clink glasses, and then marvel at the majestic beauty of another sunset. We stand in silence and soak it all in; the sky is a blank canvas, and God paints us yet another gift in this beautiful, island life.
I love life here on Maui. I love our life together.
I couldn't love this post more. I have dreams of doing the same - slowing down and truly living - and hope to get there one day soon.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you guys lived in the Bay Area prior. What a blessing to be able to chase a dream and make it come true. Good for you guys - life is too short NOT to.
ReplyDeleteCami - Hey there! Thanks for visiting and keeping me on your radar. :) Hope you are doing well!
ReplyDeleteChristina - Yes, we did! I am so bummed that I've missed so many SF/NorCal/SoCal GTGs since I moved. Thanks so much for visiting me here in my new space.